In the war of words between Gao Shen, Castori, and the Italian dia, the Italian Football Federation chose to stay on the sidelines. They even turned a blind eye to Gao Shen's sarcasm.
Why?
Because they knew they were in the wrong.
Everyone understood that Napoli had been unfairly treated in terms of scheduling.
But what could be done about it?
Which league doesn't give the big clubs so advantages when it cos to the schedule?
So, despite public calls for the Football Association to step in and issue sanctions, they chose to keep quiet and let the matter die down.
However, the day after the first round of the Coppa Italia, the Italian Football Federation held the second-round draw at its headquarters in Ro. During the proceedings, officials gently hinted to Marino, Napoli's representative, that it would be best if Gao Shen stopped discussing the matter publicly.
Marino played along, putting on an innocent face. "He's my boss," he replied. "My main job is to support him, not control him. But if you'd like, you could try talking to him directly." As he said this, he even took out his phone, offering to share De Laurentiis's contact information as if genuinely trying to be helpful.
The officials quickly backed off.
Talk to De Laurentiis?
That would be walking straight into a storm. The club president was known for being even more caustic than Gao Shen. Approaching him would only lead to a scolding.
So, the Football Association officials chose to drop it. It was clear they wouldn't be able to control Gao Shen.
Watching the officials leave, Marino felt a sense of satisfaction and relief.
When the scheduling fiasco first unfolded, he had tried to diate, only to end up being berated by De Laurentiis. And who had set up that whole situation? The Football Association.
"Oh, Juventus gets to pick and choose when they participate, and we're just supposed to roll over and accept it?" Marino thought bitterly.
Now, he fully agreed with Gao Shen's attitude. Sotis, this kind of establishnt needed a good shaking up.
---
In the draw for the second round, the twelve remaining teams were divided into six pairs.
Napoli drew Pisa.
Yes, Pisa the team nad after the famous leaning tower.
Pisa had just been promoted to Serie B and, according to so, had a lot in common with last season's Napoli. In the first round of the Coppa Italia, Pisa had pulled off a 2-1 coback win against Brescia.
Brescia, a veteran Serie A side and a frequent contender for promotion, was considered a strong team in Serie B, but the newly promoted Pisa managed to knock them out. This showed that Pisa wasn't a team to be taken lightly.
At the start of the season, several analysts had already identified Pisa as a potential surprise package, with a real chance to push for promotion like Napoli did the previous year.
Winning the championship might be a stretch, but it wasn't entirely out of the question.
Why?
Because Pisa had an experienced and well-regarded coach: Ventura.
Ventura was hailed by the likes of Lippi as one of the top coaches in Italy. Often referred to as the "future Ferguson of Torino," he had parted ways with Verona after last season and taken the helm at Pisa, aiming to replicate what Gao Shen had achieved with Napoli.
One of the benefits of having a seasoned coach is the network they bring.
After joining Pisa, Ventura utilized his connections to secure the loan of several quality players from bigger clubs, including Kutuzov from Parma, Tiboni from Udinese, and Cerci from Roma.
Especially Cerci.
As a long-ti fan of football manager gas, Gao Shen rembered Cerci from the days when the ga was still called Championship Manager rather than Football Manager. Back then, Cerci was practically a god-tier player in the ga.
Although in real life Cerci never quite lived up to his virtual potential, he did achieve so notable success, becoming one of Serie A's top assist providers, representing Italy internationally, and later joining Atlético Madrid. He wasn't a world-beater, but he was definitely a solid player.
This was the advantage of having a well-known coach: they could bring in talented players on loan, strengthening a newly promoted side like Pisa without breaking the bank.
It was an intriguing twist that the breakout team from Serie B this season would be facing last year's biggest surprise, Napoli. And once again, Ventura would go up against Gao Shen.
---
Following Pisa's first-round victory, which saw them co back to defeat Brescia, the team was brimming with confidence.
When Ventura found out that his team would be facing Napoli in the next round, he responded with a smile, calling it a favorable draw.
"Yes, the team I led last season didn't fare well against Napoli, but that was different. I ca in midway through the season. Now we have a new team, a fresh start, and plenty of talented players."
The implication was clear: last season's struggles were behind him. This ti, things would be different.
Ventura also took the opportunity to comnt on Napoli's 8-0 demolition of Cesena in the first round. He noted that he knew Castori well and believed that the heavy defeat had co down to the players failing to follow Castori's tactical instructions.
"That sort of collapse wouldn't happen with my team," he declared.
There was a bit of professional rivalry in his words.
Like Castori, Ventura had won almost every league title in Italy except for Serie A and Serie B. He had even claid two Serie D championships.
Looking ahead to the match in three days, Ventura assured Pisa's fans, "Don't invest too much emotion in this ga. Save it for the third round of the Coppa Italia at the end of the month. That's when the real show begins."
As for concerns about Gao Shen's success potentially undermining Italian football's traditional values, Ventura brushed them off.
"My team adheres to the classic Italian style, and we'll demonstrate that in the match."
---
The win over Cesena had allowed Gao Shen to blow off so steam. The emphatic victory left him in a much better mood.
When he saw Ventura's comnts in the dia, Gao Shen didn't take them too seriously. After all, Ventura was just another old-tir prone to boasting.
And besides, Gao Shen knew the reality all too well.
If a coach like Ventura could lead Italy to a World Cup, his coaching ability would have to be among the very best in the world.
Seriously, who else could do that?
As a young coach, Gao Shen knew he had to show so respect, right?
And hadn't the Italian dia always criticized him for not respecting the traditions of Italian football?
So this ti, Gao Shen decided to play it safe.
At the pre-match press conference, he heaped praise on Ventura, calling him a seasoned coach who had won many titles and possessed a wealth of experience that young managers like him could learn from.
He even complinted Ventura's performance with Verona last season, noting that the coach had gained widespread recognition for his work and that he believed Ventura would lead Pisa to a great season as well.
Why not throw in a few complints?
When it ca to scolding people, Gao Shen admitted he wasn't a master Mourinho could keep that title. But if there was one thing he was good at, it was giving complints.
Back in his corporate days, he could flatter everyone in the office, from the CEO down to the janitor, without missing a beat.
So, complinting Ventura was no big deal.
In fact, this ti, Gao Shen decided to take the humble route.
After all, the last win against Cesena was dominant, and he didn't want his team getting too cocky. It was important to curb any arrogance before it took root, so he emphasized that Pisa was a strong team and Napoli needed to take the match seriously.
Gao Shen's statents left the gathered dia in disbelief.
What was going on?
The reporters had co all this way to hear him clap back at Ventura, to show so fire, to provoke so controversy. But all they got was Gao Shen being… polite?
Where was the confident young coach? Where was the defiance? The rebellious streak?
If there was ever a ti for Gao Shen to fire back at Ventura, it was now. Why was he acting so restrained?
Sitting in front of the press, Gao Shen continued to complint Pisa and Ventura, but the atmosphere felt off.
When he glanced at the club's press officer, the man simply shrugged, just as puzzled.
On paper, Gao Shen had perford flawlessly, sticking closely to the talking points prepared by the press team, without deviating in the slightest.
But why did it feel like the whole room was expecting sothing else?
Sensing that the mood wasn't right, Gao Shen decided to wrap up the press conference quickly and exited the room.
---
"How did I do today?" Gao Shen asked the press officer as soon as they stepped outside.
"You were great."
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely no issues."
Gao Shen nodded. "I followed your advice to the letter. If anyone complains, you'll have to explain it to De Laurentiis."
The press officer quickly nodded in agreent.
What could possibly go wrong?
It had taken a lot of effort to get Gao Shen to cooperate, and by all accounts, he had exceeded expectations today. The press officer had heard that Gao Shen was quite skilled at giving complints, and it seed he was just as adept at flattering opponents as he was at praising his own players. His remarks were smooth and polished, far exceeding what the press team had hoped for.
As the press officer watched Gao Shen walk away, he couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishnt. It was as if he had just witnessed the transformation of Gao Shen from a fiery young coach into a composed and diplomatic manager, the kind of gentlemanly figure that the Italian dia had been calling for.
This could be the start of a new chapter, one where Gao Shen's image would be reshaped into that of a world-class tactician respected by everyone.
But neither Gao Shen nor the press officer could have anticipated what would happen next.
---
The following day, the headlines in the newspapers left both of them speechless.
The coverage of the press conference was completely different from what they had expected.
One headline read, "Gao Shen Turns Two-Faced: Praises Ventura with One Hand, Prepares to Crush Pisa with the Other." Another one said, "Young Coach's Sweet Words Hide a Knife: Gao Shen's Complints Are Nothing More Than an Act."
The articles were filled with accusations of Gao Shen being disingenuous. The narrative painted him as a cunning and manipulative figure, soone who would use kind words to mask his true intentions. The dia seed to suggest that Gao Shen's complints were a strategy to lull Ventura and Pisa into a false sense of security before ruthlessly defeating them on the pitch.
It was a complete 180 from the tone the Italian dia had taken before. When Gao Shen had been aggressive, they had demanded humility. Now that he had shown humility, they accused him of being insincere and devious.
The press officer was left stunned, cursing under his breath.
anwhile, Gao Shen could only laugh bitterly.
"Looks like I could really write a novel about this," he muttered to himself. "I'd call it I've Beco the Villain!"
No matter what he did, it seed like the dia was determined to cast him as the bad guy.
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